Battery clamp



Ma y 29, 1934. C. TAYLQ ET AL I 1,961,113

BATTERY CLAMP Filed Aug. 30, 1927 INVENTORS. 0/4/91. 55 5 721%. 0

/ fig 14M 5. 720 40/8.

ATTORNEY patented May 2%, i934 EMMT'JTERY (CW/KW ship I application August 361]), 192%, Serial No. 21$,i86

5 claims. (e11. ire-25c) Our invention relates to clamps, more particularly to storage battery clamps.

At the connections of terminal clamps to the terminal or binding posts of storage batteries corrosion often takes place, securing the clamp'and binding post rigidly together substantially as a unitary member. When removing such corroded clamp from the binding post of the batteries, wrenches, screw drivers, chisels, and hammers are often employed for removing the clamp, injuring the clamp itself, bending or otherwise injuring the binding post, and often injuring the battery cell or container, and often a great deal of time, energy and patience is expended.

The objects of our invention are: first, to provide a clamp for connecting cables to the binding posts of storage batteries, which clamp may be easily and quickly disconnected and removed from the binding post, as well as readily and tightly secured thereto; second, to provide a clamp of this class which may be easily and quickly secured to and removed from the binding posts of batteries by only a wrench or a pair of pliers; third, to provide a clamp of this class which may be easily secured to and removed from binding posts of batteries without in any way injuring the clamp or any part of the battery; fourth, to provide a clamp of this class which may be easily and tightly secured around the binding posts of batteries by screw means without'a great deal of force andwithout bending or otherwise distorting portions of the clamp as is common with clamps now in use; fifth, to provide clamp means of this class in which the tightening bolt used used for tightening the clamp around a binding postis used also for loosening the clamp therefrom; sixth, to provide, as a whole, a novelly constructed clamp for connecting cables to battery posts, and also for similar and other purposes; and, seventh, to provide a clamp of this class which is particularly simple and economical of construction, particularly durable and one which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, our invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application in which:

Figure 1 is atop view of our clamp 'in its preferred form of construction, as it appears when secured to a binding post of a storage battery;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; Fig. 3 is another side view thereof with the one clamp member removed and with the bolt shown in section; Fig.

i is an end view thereof; Fig. 5 is a view showing the connecting bolt or screw; Fig. 6 is a sectional view through 6-6 of Fig. 1, with the lower clamp member removed, and Fig. '7 is an end elevational view of the lower clampmember taken from the opposite direction to Fig. 6.

Like characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawing.

Our clamp, in its preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawing, consists of four parts, namely, clamp members 1 and 2, a clamp member connecting screw 3, and a screw retaining washer 4.

The clamp members may be made of brass, malleable iron, or any other metal suitable for the purpose. The clamp members 1 and 2 are provided intermediate their ends with substantially semi-circularly shaped, bands or straps forming at their inner and adjacent sides substantially semi-circularly shaped binding post receiving recesses 1a and 2a, said recesses being positioned in opposed relation when said clamp members are secured together, forming a circular recess for the binding post of a battery. The binding posts of batteries are usually tapered outwardly; the recesses 1a and 2a are, therefore, also tapered or contracted toward their upper sides to provide a correspondingly tapered recess for the binding posts.- At the one end of the clamp member 1 is provided a portion lb for connecting an electric cable to the clamp means, said portion being preferably in the form of a socket in which one end of the cable is inserted and secured. This socket 1b. extends preferably at a right angle to the axis of the recess 1a and the open end thereof extends preferably in the same direction as the recess in. The connection between the strap portion'and the socket portion is enlarged and in this enlarged portion is provided a hook-shaped clamp member retaining recess 10 which extends into the enlarged portion from the side thereof at one side of the recess 1a and then extends substantially at a right angletoward the open end of the socket portion. The inner end 1d of the hook-shaped recess 10 is rounded and forms a pivot for the end 2b of a hook-shaped lug or pivot portion 20 at the one or coincident end of the clamp member 2.. Thus, the clamp member 2 is pivotally connected relative to the clamp member 1 and is also retained therein by the hook-shaped recess and the hookshaped lug. The opposite or free ends of theclamp members 1 and 2 are enlarged as indicated, respectively, by 1e and 2d. Through the enlarged end 1e of the clamp member 1, extends the screw 3 which may be in the form of a cap screw with the head thereof bearing against the outer side of the enlarged portion. This screw is positioned at a right angle to the axis of the 'recess la. The threaded end of the screw is screwed into a threaded recess in the enlarged end 2d of the clamp member 2. Intermediate the ends of the shank of the screw 3, is provided an, annular groove 3a which is positioned immediately at the inner side of the enlarged portion 1e. In this annular groove are positioned the furcations 4a of the bifurcated screw retaining washer i which I is positioned against the inner side of the enlarged portion 1c. The inner edge of the washer 4 is preferably straight and assumes the position of the inclined binding post, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the washer cannot be rotated when in position and be thus removed.

Thus, when securing the clamp means to the binding post of a battery, the screw is merely screwed into the clamp member 2, drawing the strap portions of the clamp members about the shank of the binding post, the pivotal connection of the clamp members doing away with the usual necessity of distorting the clamp members when securing the clamp means to a binding post, or other device. When desiring to remove the clamp means, the screw is turned in the opposite direction, automatically separating the free ends of the clamp members without difdculty and by the aid of a wrench only.

Though we have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, and a particular application of our invention, we do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, nor to the particular application, but desireto include in the scope of our invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, a pair of clamp members pivotally connected together at one end, a screw extending transversely through the opposite end, of one member and provided with a head positioned against the outer side of the latter member and with an annular groove in its shank at the inner side of said member, and a furcated screw retaining washer extended over said shank in said groove and positioned against the inner side of the latter member, the opposite end of said screw being threaded and screwed into the oppositeend of the other memher. 7

' 2. In a device of the class described, a pair of clamp members, pivotally connected together at one end, a screw extending transversely through the opposite end of one member and provided eanne with a head positioned against the outer side of the latter member and with an annular groove in its shank, at the inner side of said member, and a furcated screw retaining washer, extending over said shank in said groove and positioned against the inner side of the latter member, the opposite end of said screw being threaded and screwed into the opposite end of the other member, said washer having a fiat edge at its inner side, adapted to extend substantially parallel and adjacent to the member clamped by the device, whereby the washer is prevented from rotating.

3. In a battery clamp, a pair of clamp jaw -members pivotally connected together at their one ends and arranged to extend around opposite sides of a battery terminal, a screw means rotatably and slidably mounted at the extended end portion of one of said clamp jaw members, said screw means arranged to screw into the extended end of the other clamp jaw member, said screw means provided with an annular channel between said clamp jaw member and adjacent said one clamp jaw member, and a slotted washer arranged to fit said annular channel and form a shoulder for limiting the sliding movement of said screw means relative to said one clamp jaw member.

4.. In a device of the class described, a battery clamp, arranged to fit around a battery terminal, a screw member forming a loose fit in the one end of said battery clamp, limited in its inward movement by a head portion, and screwably mounted in the other end of said battery clamp, said screw member provided with an annular channel between the ends of said battery clamp and a slotted washer arranged to fit said annular channel and form a shoulder arranged to limit the outward movement of said screw member relative to said one end of said battery clamp, said washer held in place by said battery terminal.

5. A battery clamp comprising a split ring provided with an integral cable receiving socket, said ring including a pair of opposed apertured lugs; one of which is threaded, and the other of which is non-threaded, a headed bolt including a shank having a non-threaded portion engageable in the non-threaded lug, together with a threaded portion engageable in the threaded lug, a groove between said threaded and non-threaded portions of said shank adjacent one side of the nonthreaded lug, a split-ring washer located in said groove, and adapted to engage said one face of the non-threaded lug when said bolt is rotated in one direction, whereby, said threaded lug is moved in one direction and said non-threaded lug is moved in an opposite direction to spread the clamp, and the head of said bolt adapted to engage the adjacent side of the non-threaded lug when said bolt is rotated in a sense opposite to the first mentioned rotation, whereby the lugs each move toward each other to clamp the battery post.

CHARLES E. TAYLOR.

WILLIAM B. TAYLOR. 

